Sigourney Weaver received an Emmy nomination for her role as Mary Griffith in the made for tv movie called 'Prayers for Bobby' and I'm hoping she wins it! The movie hit close to home for many that watched the story unfold... it hit way too close to home for me.

I read through some of the comments that were left on the movie's page on the lifetime website... it was one of the hardest things that I've had to do in quite some time. The raw emotion that this topic brought out of people was truly moving, endearing, heart-wrenching, and painful all at the same time. Page after page, people from all sides of the discussion commented and expressed their views, experiences, and feelings; most of them from LGBT's wanting to express their gratitude for the creation of this movie.

This movie moved me to tears repeatedly...

The pain that comes with that moment in a gay person's life is almost indescribable, and that's why this movie touches so many of us in the community. Simply because there aren't words that we can put together to explain how we felt and thought during that point in our lives; this movie offers an extraordinary depiction of what happens in many families, mine included.

Based on a true story, the movie depicts the story of a young gay teenager coming out to his conservative, Christian family. It also explores how Mary disapproves of her son’s sexual orientation and tries to change him through prayer and psychiatry. After his death, she questions her faith and eventually becomes an advocate for gay rights.

This story is tragic, yes, but after realizing the error of her ways, Mary Griffith set out to work with PFLAG (Parents, Families, And Friends of Lesbians, and Gays) in order to prevent more tragic stories like her son's. I've said before that we should be waging a social war for our equal rights, and I still stand by that because it took the death of this women's son to realize that there's nothing wrong with being gay. Mary Griffith blames herself for the death of her son to this day, acknowleding that had she supported and loved her son that he'd still be alive.

Stay strong ladies and gentlemen because the next generation needs our help! Look for ways to reach out to the next generation of LGBT's in your community, because they might not have anyone else there for support.

For more information on where you can find more information, contact me at leo@citizenzero.us and I'll point you in the right direction.

God bless America

The month of August started off rocky for the LGBT community as 3 young people were murdered in Tel Aviv after an attack on an LGBT community center.

Lets get to the have beens...

-We were all entrenched to our eyeballs in healthcare reform, everywhere you turned people are talking about reform pro's and con's. We're not going to get away from this one for quite a while so I'm also including this one in the should be's and will be's... fyi.
-The great debate over Sonia Sotomayor came to a close with her being confirmed to the Supreme Court... the conservatives had little to say once they knew they lost this one. Great day for women and minorities everywhere.
-Bill Clinton was making headlines again after his rescure of two journalists from North Korea's grips.
-The Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America (ELCA) voted to allow gays in commited relationships to serve as ministers!

On to the should be's...

-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's senate race is ratcheting up against him, Nevadans should take a close look at how or why they should support Harry Reid's bid in 2010.
-Talk about the equality march with all of your friends, because it's a big deal and it should be treated as such!
-On the lighter side, you should check out the episode of Family Guy that's being talked about with Rush Limbaugh... what a jokester that rush. :(
-Keep an eye on Iran, because the people rose up this summer so there's bound to be more trouble ahead.
-Like I said earlier, talk about healthcare because everyone else will be!

Finally to the will be's...

-I've looked into my crystal ball and I see more talks about healthcare reform, should we overhaul the entire system or just make the proper adjustments?
-Look for possible ways that the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy will affect that debate on either side of the aisle
-We're all going to be talking about gay rights! Support your brothers and sisters by attending the Equality March this October!

Those are my thoughts this time around, let me know if you disagree or if you think I missed something.

Citizenzero

P.S.
I get the feeling that we're all going to start thinking locally again when it comes to entertainment, dining, and politics so get informed on what's cool, what's good, and what's going on.

13,000 American soldiers have been dishonorably discharged since "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was passed in 1993 under the Clinton administration. The original blame should fall on that administration for passing a bill like this, but it is clearly stated that the original intent of the bill's implementation was to allow LGBT soldiers to serve more freely. The road to hell is paved with good intentions...

Now fast forward 16 years in the future, 13,000 soldiers later, and 2 strong Congressional opponents of DADT later... you'll find former President Bill Clinton defending his reasons and good intentions for the passage of the bill, you'll find that our military is severely strained while waging two wars, and you'll also find that 75% of the public polled by USA Today state that gays should be allowed to serve openly. The nation will also see the Senate Armed Services Committee holding hearings after their August break on this exact issue; there have been numerous accounts and statements from top military posts to the effect of repealing or reviewing this legislation. This is a great first step after the original proposition to repeal DADT couldn't muster up the required 60 votes in the Senate, and we should all look closely to the progress of these hearings.

What you won't see is the President of the United States coming forward and directly supporting the repeal of this legislation that is responsible for 287 discharged men and women since the current administration took office. Then candidate Obama came out in support of repealing DADT, but has since failed on his dedication to the LGBT community. Another big step that you won't see is major Democratic support for the effort in both chambers of Congress to repeal DADT... why is that? The reason is simple... LGBT rights are TABOO! Politicians don't want to upset the status quo, and perhaps they're just following the leader? President Obama's administration upheld the status quo in another Gay rights debate, so I'm assuming that politicians are just taking their marching orders from the top when it comes to the LGBT community.

WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!?!?!?!

FOLLOW THE LINK AND SIGN THE PETITION in support of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's upcoming ASC hearings!

http://www.kirstengillibrand.com/signup?id=0003&ad=G-content-national-dadt

This is the easiest thing that you can do to get your name on a list of supporters that want Congress to repeal DADT!

God bless America.

This morning, the wonderful Rush Limbaugh was taking a call from one of his listeners regarding the recent antics that some of the right wing healthcare protestors had tried at several town hall meetings. The caller was on record for denouncing the portrayals of President Obama as Hitler as well as denouncing people bringing their weapons to protests... the listener went on to say that by these people going out there like this, the Liberals are gaining ammunition! 

Limbaugh went on to completely disagree with the caller, claiming that those exact type of antics were what was working in this healthcare "debate". He went on further to argue that the caller sounded like he was working for the other side... suggesting that the intelligent people in this country that see him for the ignorant tyrant that he is would take the time out of their day to call into his radio program. Unbelievable! Painting President Obama as a Nazi and bringing rifles to protests near where the President of the United States was going to be present... this never would have been accepted if a left wing nutjob had brought a rifle to a Bush event, we never would've heard the end of it.

Later on however, Glenn Beck was on his radio program talking about the same issue! He was talking about how the protestor at Barney Frank's townhall was making things worse for the conservative movement against healthcare reform... wait, I thought that Rush was the most popular figure in the Republican party? I thought that the polls showed him even more credible than Sarah Palin!!! Yet here is Glenn Beck... going against what the Rush-juggernaut was saying. Very interesting to me, interesting enough for me to take notice.

I hardly ever find anything relevant on Glenn Beck's radio program, but I actually agreed with him on this exact issue today... it's simple, because if you start showing your crazy card, the rest of the country is going to see it and switch teams! In my personal opinion... LET THE CRAZY CARD SHOW FRINGERS!!! LET IT SHINE IN THE LIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO SEE! They'll win the debate for us, and we would finally be able to move onto the next task (hopefully gay rights, even though I doubt it).

The truth on this entire debate is that there SHOULD be a debate on the issues, representatives shouldn't be calling people crazy or insulting their intelligence by suggesting they're stupid or senile... PERIOD! You chose to serve the public, and that's like a heterosexual marriage, til death do you part (since gays aren't nationally allowed to marry, I politely leave that elusion to the straight majority), or until we vote you out!

The Liberal representatives in Congress need to stay strong during this month of August and allow the right wing to sink their own ship with these far out fringe agents that are showing up all across the country. These fringers are influencing the debate by not allowing the REAL constituents the time to voice their concerns, because there most certainly are a lot of questions that are still to be answered by the Democrats in office. This is a battle against time for the Democrats, and quite frankly they're wasting it if they're pandering to the outrageous comments from these fringers.

Take your constituents seriously; just because they have a question about healthcare, doesn't mean that they're crazy! I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTHCARE!!! Harry Reid better not dream about shouting at me as if I were a crazy though, any senator would have another thing coming if they ever took the tone that Barney Frank took with that fringer.

Breathe in... Breathe out... Breathe in... Breathe out... Namaste.

God bless America

Recently, it was made public that the Obama administration is looking to uphold the status quo in regards to the Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA, in a new briefing released regarding the California legislation against gay marriage. We all know that perhaps I'm beating a dead horse on this issue, but this is a horse that should be beaten to a bloody pulp until it gets taken care of... I've written about the significance of "seperate but equal" in this country before and the invalid status it carries, yet millions of Americans still choose this practice for the LGBT community. In 2009, we are left with the option of seperate but equal or nothing!

In Nevada, Domestic Partnerships are finally legal and the first permits will be handed out on October 20th... this is a great victory for the community in Nevada and it's welcomed news to the thounsands of LGBT members in the state; shouldn't legislation go further to protect our civil rights though? Why should any one couple be held to a different standard? Domestic Partnerships are a valued commodity in today's LGBT reality, and it's a small step on the road to equality... I just never would have thought that the liberal president in office would be just as condemning as dubya... (George W. Bush... my best friend)

Congress has been given the signal to wait it out and see how the chips fall when it comes to DOMA... let the states fight it out, I'm sure that equality will come from the states first. Just like racial equality and women's rights did, I'm sure they will. The go ahead has been officialy given for Congress to turn a blind eye to the issues of the gay community... Congress and this President better pick their battles more wisely unless they want a black eye in 2010 and 2012.

We should demand to be taken more seriously as a demographic...

God bless America I suppose...

"That's gay!" ... why is this normal for people in our day and age to say? It's used to describe something that's dumb, stupid, or lame, so is that what the LGBT community has been reduced to?

It's about taking ourselves out of our comfort zones and speaking out when we hear someone we do or don't know saying it... people know that it could be seen as offensive but they say it anyway because nobody has told them otherwise. Think about it, most conversations you'll have regarding this phrase or others will likely end up with, "I didn't know you felt that way" or "I didn't think it was a big deal, you never said anything?" They're right! if we allow ignorance to fester, guess what... it will.

It can be uncomfortable to have to actually do something on behalf of yourself or perhaps even other people, but our society has to get to the point where ignorance is not tolerated any longer. "Everybody says it" is another one that you'll hear, but just tell them that nobody that knows YOU should be saying, plain and simple. This argument crosses gender, race, orientation, ethnic, and political lines; I was forwarded a video by a friend today that really made me think about the words that I hear and the words I personally allow to be said around me. Here it is.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what our community can do to win the social debate for our equal rights… since the country’s starting to let our plight for equality take the back burner. There are many ways to come at this problem; there are the far lefters and the radicals that want to protest and picket, that’s fne but nobody really cares about protests in this country. Then you have the moderates that want to work from within the system, and that works great as well over a potentially extended amount of time like the organizations for other civil rights movements from the 60’s. I’m saying that our community go on a nationwide PR campaign to improve our public image! It works for this nation’s largest corporations, why couldn’t it work for us?

Think about it, you’ve got oil companies putting out commercials on how much they’re trying to save the environment, when really only a fraction of one percent of their total company’s budget is dedicated to more fuel efficient technologies. Then you have some of the global conglomerates coming out in support of healthy options at their restaurants, green labels on their products, and community outreach programs after their company had a hand in devastating the community they’re now helping. If it can work for them… why not the LGBT community?

It’s simple PR, we have got to get positive exposure! I know that a lot of us are going to be resistant to actually having to do something, but it’s something that has to be done! I have a few general ideas that can be done between the major LGBT groups and organizations here in Vegas, but we would definitely need the help of regular people like you and I. One thing that I was thinking that we could do is to volunteer as a community to organize fundraisers for different charities, who doesn’t like helpful people? We could all participate in the race for the cure event next year, the march of dimes next year, and plenty of other events that would get us out in the public eye as productive members of society.

It’s the cold hard truth that we have to prove ourselves to society… I’m sorry to say it, but it’s the truth. The conservatives are always going to win the social debate over our role in society if we don’t do something to condradict those statements! I’m not talking about running pro-gay events and educational seminars on homophobia… no! We need to get involved in what other people are passionate about, so that we can forge bonds in other communities, thus building more support for our agenda without having to fight to the death against the conservatives.

If there is a group that is fighting against breast cancer, we should be there in support of them, both financially and in numbers! If there is a group advocating for the homeless, we should be there too! We should organize and volunteer within the city limits at soup kitchens, women’s shelters, charities, fundraisers, and anything else that will get us in the news for being the good people that we already are!

Plus… who wouldn’t like to get their picture in the newspaper or be interviewed on the news? We’d be the most fabulous humanitarians in the state!!!

Once we get out there and start becoming involved with making our local community a better place, it will catch on and people will start to realize that we’re not the social deviants that the religious right makes us out to be. The public will see that we’re kind hearted, caring, and good people just like everyone else, and that we deserve equal rights just like everyone else. That’s our final goal, isn’t it? I’ve said it on my blog before that we can play the political game, we can play the radical game, but nothing’s going to matter if we haven’t played and won the social game! In my opinion, our community has to first change the hearts and minds of regular people before we can change Washington.

Give it a try, even if you’re the only one there! Be out and proud while volunteering, and change one mind at a time!

God bless America.

Earlier this month, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand presented an ammendment to a Department of Defense spending bill that would place an 18 month moratorium on the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell legislation that was passed by Congress in 1993. Prominent Democrats in the Senate such as Majority Leader, Harry Reid, came out earlier this month in support of the Matthew Shepard hate crime legislation as well as Senator Gillibrand’s moratorium bill, stating that he’d repeal the DODT law altogether. This proposal by the senator was later shelved after the Supreme Court refused to hear a case from a soldier that was discharged in 2004 after being discovered as being gay. Earlier this week, the Senate Armed Services subcommittee held a hearing on DODT, and Congressman Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania testified in order to repeal the DODT legislation.

Congressman Murphy is fighting on our behalf, not because he’s gay, but because he knows that the service men and women of the military are looking for other men and women that are willing to fight by their side. He challengess Congress to accept our soldier’s professionalism and willingness to serve next to openly gay soldiers; Congressman Murphy is also the first and only Iraq veteran to be elected to Congress. Smart guy.

This is big news…

In an interview with Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, he told reporters that the office of the President has issued executive orders that have changed the political landscape of the military in the past, citing President Truman’s desegragation of the military in 1948; however, Secretary Gates went on to say that these measures took the Truman administration over 5 years in order to reach completion. Gates stated that his office has barely begun to speak with the Obama administration of DODT policy, offering an explanation for the slow progress, he said, “If we go down that road,” it was important “we do it right and in a way that mitigates any downsides.”

This brings to the forefront the idea again of an executive order from the office of the President to end DODT…

According to the US News and World Report, 296 service men and women have been discharged under the Obama administration, with no movement on the President’s behalf towards rectifying this situation. Congressman Murphy is gaining prime support from various factions within the Democratic and Republican parties (mainly the Deomcrats obviously) with his claim that it is more costly for the military to train a replacement for these discharged gay soldiers. We all know that the fastest way into a Republican’s heart is through their wallets, so perhaps this will be a successful tactic.

Either way, it appears as if the Obama administration will be keeping a tight lip about gay rights until they can get healthcare panned out in Congress. It looks like the LGBT community will have to wait until healthcare legislation is done before their voices will be heard.

Two bills in one month against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in Congress, is someone going to tell the President that we’re all talking about this?

God bless America.